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The Companies Registry Environmental Report 2016

This report sets out the Companies Registry’s environmental policies, our

achievements in 2016 and the targets of our green measures for 2017.

Foreword

The Companies Registry is responsible for administering and enforcing the

Companies Ordinance and, among other things, maintaining a register of

companies and providing services and facilities for company incorporation,

document registration and search for company information. We are committed to

fulfilling our corporate social responsibility and spare no effort to ensure that the

services provided to our customers and our internal operations are conducted in an

environmentally responsible and sustainable manner. To foster a green culture

among staff members and stakeholders to minimise possible adverse impact on the

environment, we have been expanding our electronic services constantly through

ongoing enhancements of the Integrated Companies Registry Information System

(“ICRIS”), including introduction of new mobile services.

Innovate for Tomorrow

Since its establishment in 1993, the Registry has gone through substantial changes

to its operations, transforming from a paper-based registry to an advanced

electronic one. To cater for the ever-changing business environment and growing

needs of our customers, the Registry has been at the forefront in applying

innovative ideas and technology to expand its electronic services.

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Since its first launch in February 2005, the ICRIS provides online company

search services and enables our staff to process digitised document images in a

paperless environment. At present, over 99.5% of searches on company

records are made online. Customers can conduct searches on registered particulars

of companies and digitised images of registered documents at our Cyber Search

Centre (www.icris.cr.gov.hk) round-the-clock throughout the year.

The launch of the e-Registry (www.eregistry.gov.hk) and the one-stop electronic

company incorporation and business registration service in early 2011 was a

significant milestone in the history of company incorporation in Hong Kong,

whereby the time taken for incorporation of a company is effectively reduced to

less than one hour. A full scale electronic filing service covering 84 specified

forms was implemented in March 2015. All these made Hong Kong one of the

leading jurisdictions in terms of the ease of doing business. According to the

World Bank report “Doing Business 2017”, out of 190 economies, Hong Kong's

ranking in terms of "starting a business" went up to third internationally, which is

the best-ever ranking for Hong Kong.

The Registry also takes on the initiative to develop new mobile

services. The Company Search Mobile Service (“CSMS”)

(www.mobile-cr.gov.hk) was introduced in mid-2012 to enable

customers to conduct searches on basic company information

anytime and anywhere using their smart phones and mobile devices. A full scale

CSMS covering all search services and functions were implemented in May 2016.

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A newly developed free mobile application entitled “CR eFiling”

was also launched in February 2017 to facilitate registered users

of the e-Registry to submit the more commonly filed specified

forms, including application for incorporation and forms for

reporting changes of directors and company secretaries, using their smart phones

and other mobile devices.

In addition, we provide other paperless value-added services to

registered users of the e-Registry, including, in particular, the

Annual Return e-Reminder Service and the e-Monitor Service

which enable users to receive electronic reminders for filing

annual returns and instant notification when a document is

registered in the public records of the company concerned.

Separately, we have also participated in the “Indoor Air Quality Certification

Scheme for Offices and Public Places” organised by the Environmental Protection

Department. A “Good Class” certificate has been awarded to the floors occupied by

the Registry in the Queensway Government Offices.

Our Environmental Policies

The Registry is committed to conducting operations in an

environmentally friendly manner and making continuous improvement in

the Registry’s green housekeeping programme based on the “Reduce,

Reuse and Recycle” principle. In this respect, the Registry is

committed to the following environmental policies:-

Adoption of Good Practices

Minimise the use of energy and materials

Promote the three “R” principles – Reduce, Reuse and Recycling of materials

Undertake more green purchasing

Staff Participation

Maintain a high level of environmental awareness amongst staff members and

encourage them to practise environmentally friendly measures

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Compliance

Comply with legislation, regulations and standards on environmental

protection

Waste Control

Minimise waste and contaminants and ensure the safe handling of waste

produced

On-going Efforts

Fulfill the Registry’s mission to provide customers with efficient, cost-

effective and quality services and facilities through the adoption of

environmentally friendly modern technologies

Ensure that existing as well as new operational processes have the lowest

possible adverse impact on the environment

Continue to find ways to enhance the Registry’s environmental performance

Environmental Management

Undertake independent checks by conducting environmental audits

Green Housekeeping Measures

To achieve the Registry’s Environmental Policies, we have formulated Green

Housekeeping Measures in accordance with the Government’s guidelines on green

practices and waste avoidance for implementation by our staff members. These

measures are:-

(A) Waste Minimisation

Saving Paper

- Use blank side of used paper for drafting

- Print on both sides of paper as far as possible

- Use recycled/wood free paper

- Minimise copies of flimsies and reference copies at meetings

- Use old sets of documents for re-circulation

- Minimise consumption of other types of printed stationery such as paper

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folders, minute sheets, forms and tags, or reuse them as far as possible

- Print hard copies only when necessary, e.g. for recording decisions, key

argumentation or final versions of papers and submissions

- Preview a document on screen and fine tune its page setup/layout before

sending it to print

- Minimise photocopies

- Use photocopiers with double-side photocopy function

- Install “Green tray” in photocopier or LAN laser printer to use blank side

of used paper

- Reuse envelopes or use transit envelopes

- Avoid using envelopes for unclassified documents

- Adopt electronic templates of letterheads, memoranda and forms to avoid

pre-printing for adjustment

- Incorporate an always up-to-date letterhead design on all letters, thereby

eliminating outdated, leftover paper letterhead stock

- Enclose documents in envelopes only when necessary and use used

envelopes by sticking labels where appropriate

- Keep envelopes for reuse purpose. If they are not reusable, throw them

into the Waste Paper Recycling Bag/Bin for recycling

- Avoid the use of fax leader pages as far as possible and use fax note

instead

- Use old letter heads or blank side of used paper to print incoming fax

message

- Use e-faxes

Using electronic means to save paper

- Minimise copies of circulars, e.g. circulation via emails, using old sets of

circulars for re-circulation or uploading circulars on the Departmental

Portal

- Use emails and soft copies of documents for communication and drafting

wherever possible

Other measures for waste minimisation

- Use own cups instead of paper cups

- Use refillable ball pens

- Recycle inks/ toner cartridges of printers/ fax machines/

photocopiers

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- Minimise the use of wooden pencils (e.g. use clutch pencils), disposable

batteries, glue containing benzene and ethyl acetate, and correction fluid

containing ozone depleting l.l.l-trichloroethane

- Minimise the use of fluorescent pens by underlining the text instead

- Repair old furniture and equipment

- Review actual need regularly against monthly supply items that have

expiry dates

- Year-end clean up operation

(B) Waste Recovery for Recycling/Reuse

- Do not treat waste paper, plastic bottles, cans, used printer cartridges, clips,

typewriter ribbons and waste metal as rubbish. Put these items into the

correct recycling bins or collection boxes for recycling or reuse, and make

proper records where appropriate

- Provide sufficient recycling bins or collection boxes

- Use degradable plastic bags or plastic bags with recycled content for

collecting refuse

(C) Energy Conservation

- Modify group lighting switches to individual switches

- Use computer, electric lamps/tubes and other office equipment with

Energy Efficiency label

- Reduce lighting to minimum required for illumination

- Use staircase for inter-floor traffic

- Avoid the use of personal electric appliances in office

- Lower window blinds to reduce direct sunlight in summer

- Maintain air-conditioned room temperature at 25.5°C in summer months

- Dress lightly in summer months to minimise use of air conditioners

- Keep doors closed in air-conditioned premises

- Turn off lighting if it is not needed, e.g. turn off some lighting when the

occupancy is low (e.g. during lunch time) and turn off some lighting in

public areas during lunch and after office hours

- Stick "Save Energy" stickers on light switches to remind staff to turn

off the lights before leaving the room/premise

- Activate energy saving modes (e.g. hibernation mode or standby

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mode) of office equipment during office hours

- Switch off computer monitors during periods of absence from the office

and after office hours

- Switch off or unplug computer equipment and photocopiers after office

hours to reduce standby power consumption

- Put equipment in places with no direct sunlight, and use heavy-duty blind

where applicable

- Maintain adequate airflow around computer equipment and put heat-

dissipating equipment closer to cold air outlets of air-conditioning

installation

- Ask supplier to pre-set power management features of office equipment

and provide training to staff on using such features

- Avoid leaving office equipment in standby mode. Use 7-day timer switch

to switch off equipment automatically during non-office hours

- Keep the number of power-on equipment that has to perform its primary

function during non-office hours to the minimum, such as forward all fax

lines to one fax machine

- Conduct routine check after office hours to ensure that all lighting and

office equipment are turned off

(D) Measures at Festive Seasons

- Reduce number of Greeting Cards

- Use electronic media to send greetings

- Reuse decorative materials and wrapping paper for gifts

(E) Other Measures

- Practise green purchasing through tendering conditions, etc.

- Minimise the use of pool cars unless really necessary

Execution and Supervision on Green Housekeeping Measures

To ensure compliance with the Registry’s Environmental Policies and Green

Housekeeping Measures and to keep the policies and measures under regular

review, the Business Manager, a directorate officer, is appointed as the Green

Manager of the Registry. Assisted by six Assistant Green Managers at senior

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officer level on each floor of the Registry’s office premises, the Green Manager is

responsible for:-

(a) implementing and reviewing the Registry’s green housekeeping programme,

formulating action plans and recording achievements;

(b) introducing and reviewing measures to increase staff awareness of and

involvement in environmental issues; and

(c) representing the Registry in all matters relating to green management.

The Assistant Green Managers are responsible for:-

(a) monitoring and supervising the implementation of green housekeeping

measures on respective floors;

(b) assessing the effectiveness of the green housekeeping measures at regular

intervals; and

(c) collecting views and suggestions from staff members on green housekeeping

and other environmental issues in the workplace.

Working closely together, the Green Manager and the Assistant Green Managers

continue to monitor and review the implementation of green housekeeping in the

Registry.

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Targets and Achievements on Green Measures

Our targets and actual performance on some key green measures are as follows:-

2016 2016 2017

Target Actual Target

Performance

% % %

Waste Minimisation

using blank side of used paper for drafts 100 100 100

using recycled/wood-free paper 100 100 100

re-using envelopes or using transit 99 99 99

envelopes

using refillable ball pens 100 100 100

using old sets of documents for 100 100 100

re-circulation

Waste Recovery for Recycling/Re-use

collection of waste paper 99 99 99

collection of used printer cartridges 100 100 100

Energy Conservation

routine checking to switch off lights, 100 100 100

photocopiers, etc. outside office hours

Measures during Festive Seasons

re-using decorations 100 100 100

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Looking Ahead

We will continue to implement green management practices in

conducting our business activities and in housekeeping our

offices. We always look for innovative ways to further enhance

our electronic services in environmentally friendly manner. We

plan to cover more commonly filed specified forms under the CR

eFiling Apps and enhance ICRIS to cater for the introduction of

Open-ended Fund Companies. In the next few years, we intend to

implement the proposals recommended in the Departmental

Information Technology Planning study, including a complete

revamp of ICRIS and the establishment of a new generation IT

infrastructure. Following the increasing use of the full range of

electronic services provided by the Registry, we envisage that

there would be a significant reduction in paper consumption by

the business community and substantial enhancement in overall

work efficiency.

Information and Suggestions

To save paper, we do not provide hard copy of this report. An electronic copy of

this report is available on the website of the Registry at www.cr.gov.hk.

We welcome comments or suggestions. Please send them to our Green Manager

by email at crenq@cr.gov.hk.

Companies Registry

July 2017